What is Stripe? Why make the switch?

Answer:

XSites have had credit card integration for years — even before it was commonplace for small businesses to accept credit card payments online. Back then, the simplified Merchant account sign‑up process and built‑in payment features added to your XSite made it simple to get paid for your work.

But, credit card processing technology has come a long way since those features were released, and the banking requirements we have to comply with get stricter every year — just like your appraisal regulations do. By updating XSites to integrate with Stripe for credit card processing, you can accept credit card payments with less hassle and lower fees.

Here are just a few of the benefits of Stripe:

Lower transaction fees: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful charge

No more monthly fees

Quicker application turn times without paperwork

Payments that show up in your bank account within two days

The ability to accept more forms of payment (Visa, American Express, MasterCard, Discover, and JCB) without separate applications

Consolidated accounts if you’re running multiple businesses that need credit card capabilities — they can all use Stripe

Question:

How long will it take before I can start processing credit cards?

Answer:

Once you've set up Stripe integration with your XSite, you can begin processing credit cards immediately. Keep in mind that the first transaction takes 7 business days to clear, so it's a good idea to process a $1 test charge to get that out of the way before you begin accepting credit card payments from your clients. Click here for instructions on processing a $1 test charge.

Question:

How much does it cost to process a credit card? Is there a monthly fee?

Answer:

Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction. There are no monthly fees.

Question:

How do I set up Stripe integration with my XSite?

Answer:

To set up Stripe integration with your XSite, simply click the Connect with Stripe button in the Credit Card section of your XSite's Business Management and fill out the form. Click here for step‑by‑step instructions.

Question:

How do I charge a credit card?

Answer:

There are three ways to process a transaction:

Charge a credit card for an individual order

Charging a credit card for an individual order is the quickest and easiest way to process payment for one specific order. Using this method, you can process a partial or full payment for any fees entered for a specific order. Click here for instructions.

Charge a credit card for a balloon payment

If you have a client that regularly places orders with you, sometimes it's easier to process a payment for multiple orders placed by that client instead of processing multiple, separate payments for individual orders. This method allows you to select a client from a list and process one lump payment for multiple orders simultaneously. Click here for instructions on processing balloon payments.

Process a charge that isn't associated with an order

Occasionally, you'll come across a scenario where you need to process a payment for something that is unrelated to an order. To do this, you simply click New Charge in the Credit Card section of your XSite's Business management and then fill out the transaction details. Click here for instructions.

Question:

How do I review transactions?

Answer:

You can review a list of recent transactions, view the details of a specific transaction, and void transactions from the Credit Card Transactions section of your XSite's Business Management. Click here for more information.

Question:

How do I void and refund a transaction?

Answer:

To void and refund a transaction, simply click the void icon ( ) beside a charge in the Credit Card Transactions section of your XSite's Business Management. Click here for instructions.

Question:

How long does it take for a transaction to clear before it shows up in my account?

Answer:

Your first transaction takes 7 business days to clear while Stripe verifies your account and processes the transaction. All subsequent transactions will clear within 2 business days.

Because it takes 7 days for your first transaction to clear, it's a good idea to process a $1 test charge when you first set up Stripe integration with your XSite to get it out of the way and avoid any gaps between payments while you wait for the first charge to clear. Click here for instructions on processing a $1 test charge.

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